


There's something I've been meaning to say...

by offensiveagentpie



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, newmann - Freeform, post drift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:01:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3372170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/offensiveagentpie/pseuds/offensiveagentpie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What’s a drift between two friends and a few monsters?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's something I've been meaning to say...

**Author's Note:**

> Originally a prompt for tumblr user [mistely](http://mistely.tumblr.com). I just wanted to post it over here as well.
> 
> Can be found on my tumblr [here](http://offensiveagentpie.tumblr.com/post/102294352395).

It takes a truly astounding amount of time post Breach closure for Hermann to realize that he and Newton should be in the medical bay. While he feels fine, except for the exhaustion pulling at his eyes, they have just drifted with a massive hive mind belonging to creatures from another dimension…and Newton has had to do it twice. They need to get checked out, for the remaining bit of sanity he has left if nothing else.

The celebrations are still continuing and adrenaline is still running high, when he and Newton both say their farewells to the crowd in LOCCENT. They make it to the elevator before Newton slumps against the wall and sighs. He speaks only when he notices Hermann press the wrong floor number.

“Herms, I don’t know where you think we’re going but, our quarters are definitely on the 6th floor and all I want to do right now is shower and sleep for the next 10 years…and not necessarily in that order.”

Hermann wrinkles his nose at the thought of sleeping before showering in the state he’s in, but lets it pass when he gets his first good look at his lab partner since leaving the bustling crowd. And what a look it is. Under the fluorescent lights in the elevator, Newton looks much worse than Hermann actually feels, which is saying a lot. The cut on his forehead as started to bleed again, and his eyes are completely out of focus as his head bobs wearily.

“As much as I agree with you,” he says smartly, “We have both just been through an unprecedented ordeal, and we will both be getting a thorough medical examination before I feel completely comfortable again.”

Newton groans in protest as the doors ding open, staggering out into the hall. “Do we have to really? What’s a drift between two friends and a few monsters?”

Hermann’s actually rather impressed that Newton still has the ability to be joking at a time like this, but he puts a hand between the man’s shoulders to guide him into the bright lights of the medical bay regardless.

-oOo-

The entire department is a constant hum of activity. Most of the doctors and nurses are busy preparing for the arrival of rangers Beckett and Mori, but a tall woman in a lab coat notices their arrival and shouts for aid.

They find out that Herc has warned them of their arrivals, as well as the condition they’re in and how they got to be that way. Time flies in a flurry of tests and readings and questions and by the end of it, Hermann is absolutely exhausted. He’s fighting hard against sleep when the doctor who first saw them enters the curtained off area where he’s been stationed in a bed.

“You are a damn lucky man, Dr. Gottlieb,” she says, voice holding a trace of awe. “The drift you went through is absolutely unheard of, and yet you’ve managed to escape completely unscathed. You might experience some Ghost Drifting, but really nothing more severe than any pilot goes through.” She swipes her finger across her tablet, shaking her head in disbelief. “Other than sleeping off a highly stressful decade or so, you’re going to be absolutely fine.”

Hermann nods groggily, only slightly aware of the fact that there’s good news being given to him. Something, however, is nagging at the back of his mind. It’s a sort of tension…with a bit of fear clouding the edges. He gets a sudden flash of panic and sees an MRI scanner that he’s not in.

“Newton!” he says suddenly, voice cracking. “How…how is Newton?”

The doctor looks away quickly. “I’m afraid Dr. Geiszler did not make it out as well as you did.”

Cold dread pours through Hermann’s veins and settles in his chest.

“T-tell me…what’s happened?” He watches as the doctor hesitates before quietly stowing her tablet in the pocket of her coat. 

“His mind is having a hard time returning to baseline readings, and the damage to his eye is more extensive than what you faced. It’s most likely going to change his vision for the worse permanently. He’s also severely dehydrated and suffering from extreme exhaustion. I’d ask when you thought he’d last gotten a full night’s sleep, but circumstances being what they are, I don’t think anyone here has,” she sighs, shoulders sinking wearily. “We have every belief that he’s going to pull through back to normal, but we’re going to need to keep him under surveillance for a few days at least.”

Hermann’s heart pounds in his chest and he can only nod again. “When,” his voice is hoarse as he stumbles over the words. “When the tests are finished, do you think you could bring him in here, with me? Please?”

The doctor gives him a small smile. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

-oOo-

 

Time drags by and Hermann forces himself to keep awake. He watches as his hands shake against the pale green hospital blanket and he bites the inside of his cheek to jolt him awake when he feels himself nodding off.

Finally, there’s a commotion nearby as the partition is pulled back and a man and woman in scrubs wheel another bed in. There’s a tug in the back of Hermann’s mind and from the bed, Hermann sees Newton turn to look at him through foggy eyes.

“Hermann?” he grates out. And the sound of his voice alone makes Hermann’s heart pound once again.

“Yes, Newton, I’m right here.”

There’s a moment of silence as the nurses push his bed into position. Hermann is grateful for it being so close as Newton reaches slowly out, putting his hand through the safety bar. “Hermann…please stay?” he asks, voice so quiet as his hand pats blindly around on Hermann’s mattress.

Hermann takes a deep breath and takes Newton’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I will,” he whispers back. Newton, however, most likely doesn’t hear him. The connection at the back of Hermann’s mind goes fuzzy as sleep drags him under as well.

 

-oOo-

Hermann is released after a day. But Newton is kept for four. By lunch time of the fourth day, Hermann is sitting in a chair next to Newton’s bed and is very seriously considering smothering him with the thin hospital pillow. Things are, relatively, back to normal.

“Ugh…” Newton moans. “I’m totally fine to go, Herms, you gotta tell them!” He’s bouncing his leg on the bed and the whole thing is shaking. “I’m terrible at bed rest, I can’t take much more of this! My readings are normal, and yeah, I’m gonna need to get glasses with a stronger prescription in the one lens, but that’s nothing Hermann! Nothing!”

“Newton, I swear to all that I hold dear, that if you do not shut up and eat your damned meat loaf, I’ll make sure you’re hospitalized permanently.”

Newton sighs at him, as though keeping up his food intake in the hospital isn’t standard practice everywhere. “Fine!” he draws the word out, before stuffing a forkful of terrible Shatterdome cooking into his mouth.

Hermann flashes his best martyr face towards the ceiling and sits back in the chair.

“By the way,” Newton says through a mouthful of food. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to say…”

Hermann looks back at him, those words never cease to be foreboding.

Newton twirls his fork nervously, “When we first got here…uh… well, I could tell that you got a flash of me kind of freaking out over going into the MRI machine. I’m not too great with tight spaces and well, the one nurse wheeling me in told me you asked for me to be roomed with you. And…uh…I know you held my hand and came to visit me the first two days when I was out of it. I wasn’t like, cognizant or anything but,” he pauses, tapping his temple. 

“I knew you were here…I could feel you. And, well, what I’m trying to get at here, is thank you. It means the world to me Hermann,” he puts his fork down in favor of laying a hand over Hermann’s on the arm of the chair. 

Hermann’s stomach flips as the warmth of skin covers his. The pull at the back of his mind flares weakly and he’s overwhelmed with feelings of love. His face goes bright red.

Newton clears his throat and looks down sheepishly before stammering on, “It, it really does. And I mean, that’s not even covering the thanks I owe you for doing all this crazy drift shit in the first place. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to thank you for that, I mean really I can never hope to—“

Hermann stands up, carefully pushing Newton’s lunch tray out of the way before kissing him soundly on the lips. “You can start by shutting up for the moment, you insufferable idiot…”

Newton looks at him, flabbergasted, before breaking out into a beaming grin. “That might be do-able,” he says, laughing as he pulls Hermann into kiss him once more.


End file.
